Why Brandon Roy can still start for Portland

Apparently the Blazers’ front office is considering asking Brandon Roy to retire (maybe they already have). Why? The popular and logical opinion is that he is done. Roy has no meniscus left in his knees.

Prevailing speculation is that the Blazers’ want Roy to exit because:

His contract is hefty.

They assume he will never be an All-Star again.

They don’t want to pay a role player star money.

But, what if they’re wrong?

These days we expect instant analysis, but with Roy and his knees we might just have to wait and see.

In 2010 Roy was heroic and reckless. He played 8 days after knee surgery. In 2011 he had two more knee surgeries.

Roy’s situation is unique. Here’s why:

He has never played above the rim

His game is not dependent on being super explosive. It’s not like he’s Shawn Kemp or Blake Griffin losing crazy ups. He has always had old man game — ground game.

His style leans on smarts over athleticism

Roy’s known for being controlled and methodical. He uses his body to create angles and he takes advantage of them with superb court vision.

His is a rope-a-dope style. He lulls the defender and slips past. He lofts arching cross-court passes and mid-range fade-aways.

He’s crafty. He plays in slo-mo. That is why his natural game may be perfect for ailing joints.

I was looking for a change in Roy’s movement during the Mavericks series. He looked the same to me. I cringed every-time he jumped or drove waiting for his knees to buckle but they didn’t.

The 18 points he scored in the fourth quarter of game 4 should act as a reminder of what he still can do.

During that series he insisted the knees felt fine. It was hard to tell if he was moving differently. I marveled that didn’t wear knee braces. Psychologically that visual had a convincing effect. He seemed healthier — less brittle.

Since I disagree with pushing Roy toward the exit, what should the Blazers’ do?

Be patient. Draft a plan. Here’s an example:

See how he’s feeling after the long lockout offseason.

Start him at the one (give him full support for 2012-13).

Reassess the situation after the 2013-14 season.

Roy could play Jason Kidd’s part with guidance from Nate McMillan.

As facilitator Roy’s job would be to keep the ball moving, shoot when open, and back down smaller point guards for post ups in the paint. He’s bigger than most one’s in the league and could shoot over them.

Plus he’s strong enough to over-power a solid defender like Kidd.

This new role would take away a bulk of his isolation plays. He wouldn’t be over-dribbling, wouldn’t be idle without the ball, and his shooting attempts would dip. (Historically he has averaged 17 shots-per-game, but 12 to 15 would be ideal.)

Instead he would move off the ball, distribute, and shoot when open.

In Roy’s absence LaMarcus Aldridge became the main scoring option. Roy at the one would ensure the Blazers role forward with their big man as the centerpiece.

Aldridge is one of the only back-to-the-basket post players in the league and the Blazers offense should continue going straight through him (a la the Grizzlies and Zach Randolph).

Portland is two pieces away from the Western Conference Finals or maybe just one big piece. What would they look like if they added (in the words of Shaq) the last power center (Dwight Howard)?